Menus Revealed for the ‘Conscious Eating’ Dinner Under the Stars at Tohono Chul

Join Tucson Foodie on August 26th for a special evening as we experience the magic of “conscious eating.”

This unique dining experience aims to connect us to our food, the land, the earth, our bodies, and even the cosmos. It’s also the unofficial kickoff to the Good Food Forum + Expo happening the next day.

Held at Tohono Chul — one of the “World’s Great Botanical Gardens” — the evening will be guided by naturopathic doctors Dr. Jasmine May and Dr. Angela Wojtowicz. Dishes will be crafted by four local chefs hand-picked for this unique dinner, and designed to feature locally-sourced, organic, and regeneratively-grown food. Some of the growers of the food will be present to share a bit about their farming practices, further deepening our connection to the food on our plates.

The Chefs & Their Menus

Chef Sewa Yuli Portela Farias

• Indigenous community cook and winner of the 2024 Tucson City of Gastronomy Foodways Keeper Award.
• Dish: Three Sisters sweet corn cake with Tohono O’odham squash, Ramona Farms pinole, Ramona Farms tepary bean, and sweet corn from Mortimer Farms

Chef Kelzi Bartholomaei

• GUT (Gastronomic Union of Tucson) Chef and former owner of the famed Mother Hubbard Cafe.
• Dish: Jojoque seco marinated and bezar-seasoned grilled chicken, sauced in a date, tamarind, cocoa nib, peanut, pine nut, almond, sesame, and a four-chile mole. Served with corn tortillas.

Chef David Marks

• Executive chef at Tohono Chul Garden Bistro.
• Dish: Pico de gallo compressed Tohono O’odham white watermelon three ways, nopales escabeche, housemade queso with toasted pepita, and chayote slaw with prickly pear vinaigrette [vegetarian]

Chef Feng-Feng Yeh

• Chef and artist, founder of the Chinese Chorizo Festival.
• Dish: Eight Treasure Savory Tangyuan Mushroom Soup [vegan]

Neat Tidbits About the Dishes

Each of these dishes is creative in its own way.

For instance, Chef Yeh’s dish incorporates traditional Chinese medicine while Chef Bartholomaei is cooking the same dish at the Date Bazaar Festival in Buraydah, Saudia Arabia — an oasis town where some of the best dates in the world come from.

She’s representing the City of Tucson for TCOG’s local ambassador program. The month-long festival is held in high summer, which aligns with the peak harvesting season. Farmers from across the Kingdom converge in Buraydah to showcase their finest produce.

The Growers

• Aaron Cardona of Arevalos Farm – third-generation Mexican-American family farm in Double Adobe, AZ
• Romona Farms on the Gila River Indian Reservation
• More TBA…

The Guides

• Dr. Jasmine May is a naturopathic doctor and founder of Healing Spirit Soaks. She reflects on conscious eating as a daily celebration of life’s miracles.
• Dr. Angela Wojtowicz has more than 15 years of experience as a naturopath, sharing her global healing wisdom and passion for the connection of the physical, mental, and energy bodies.

Tickets

Tickets are $75 per person. Many tickets were already purchased by Foodie Club members in advance, so we encourage you to purchase your tickets now.

Let’s connect deeply with our food, the earth, and each other.

Tohono Chul is located at 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit eventbrite.com.